Stay away, locals tell tourists as Shimla runs out of water

Water being drawn from cemeteries, drains as taps run dry: should you still be going?

Shimla is grappling with a massive water crisis this summer, with taps in several homes running dry for over nine days. Locals are queuing up on streets across the hill-station for a bucket of water, even as several hotels have started turning tourists away. The situation is so desperate that some residents have started a social media campaign urging tourists to stay away till the situation improves.

Water crisis in Shimla

The water shortage has been attributed to an unusually dry winter in North India, with very little snow in the upper Himalayas. Shimla has received less than half the water it needs to survive the tourist season. Inside homes, taps have run dry for the past nine days, forcing locals out on the streets to fetch water. Every day, residents are queuing up on Mall Road to fill water from public taps. These queues and the several protests across town are choking traffic in the hill-station. In response, the municipal corporation has been sending water tankers to the worst affected neighbourhoods, but even these come with police escorts.

Credit: Chinar Thakur

The situation is so dire, locals say, that the daily activities of the town have taken a hit. There is no water for cleaning public spaces and bathrooms, which tourists heavily rely on, giving the otherwise pristine town a squalid look. The Shimla Summer Festival, due to be held from 1-5 June, has been postponed indefinitely.

Nivedita Mishra, one of the several Shimla residents CNT spoke to, warns travellers against street food. “Vendors are drawing water from the city drains and cemeteries for cooking,” she says. “You can still buy drinking water from the market, but at inflated prices.” Panita, who runs Sanjiv’s Aira Holme Retreat, says he has been unable to provide his guests with the basics, “like a bucket of water for a bath,” and has therefore had to refuse guests, even in peak season. However, bigger hotels like Radisson Hotel Shimla and Clarkes Shimla told CNT that they have enough water stored and are still able to accommodate their guests.

Sanjay Sood, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of North India, says that local hoteliers like him were now paying up to Rs30,000 per day to bring water from other parts of Himachal to service their guests. “Around 70 percent of the hotels in and around town are still operational. But given the crisis, hotels are urging guests to be judicious and carry some drinking water for their use,” he says. On Wednesday, the Himachal Pradesh High Court asked authorities to cut water supply to 224 hotels and homestays that had failed to clear their water dues.

So, what should travellers do? “Call your hotel and confirm your booking before you arrive. You can still have an enjoyable trip, as long as you are mindful.” To go or not to go? The final call, of course, is yours.